Police charge man in road-rage incident that killed dog

J.D. Prose

Monday

Apr 20, 2009 at 12:01 AM

HOPEWELL TWP. — After learning Monday that he faces 12 charges, including aggravated assault, an Aliquippa man denied that his road rage purposely caused an April 9 accident on the Beaver Valley Expressway in Hopewell Township that injured a Canonsburg couple and killed their dog.

“Basically, my car got out of control,” said Bruce Beard, 46, of 1133 Wade St. “I’m sorry if anybody has been hurt over that, but, personally, I was basically trying to get control of my vehicle.”

Beard claimed not to know that he had been charged in the accident when reached by phone. He said he was questioned by police April 10, but had not heard from them since.

“I was questioned about (the accident), but I was not told about charges,” he said.

While Beard apologized if he inadvertently caused the accident, state police painted another picture of the incident that sent a sport-utility vehicle driven by Frank Ferrara veering into the median, where it rolled several times.

Ferrara and his wife, Lorena, no age given, were injured, and their terrier mix dog named Buddy was thrown from the SUV and killed.

POLICE SAID…

Court documents filed in Hopewell District Judge Janet Swihart’s office allege that Beard engaged Frank Ferrara in a dangerous confrontation while the two drove north on Route 60, just before the Route 151 exit, around 4:50 p.m.

According to the complaint, Beard allegedly refused to move from the left lane to allow Ferrara to pass. When Ferrara entered the right lane, Beard sped up to prevent Ferrara from passing him and made an obscene gesture toward Ferrara.

Ferrara failed to pass Beard, who sped ahead in the left lane and, police said, “abruptly and intentionally” entered the right lane, “cutting off Ferrara.”

At that point, police said, Beard’s Chevy Cavalier began to spin, and Ferrara “took evasive action” to avoid Beard’s car.

Ferrara’s Ford Expedition entered the left lane and continued into the median, where it rolled three or four times, “coming to rest on its roof,” police said.

Beard allegedly stopped on the right shoulder and got out of his car with a cell phone in his hand. Police said Beard fled the scene after being approached by two other drivers.

HE SAID…

In Beard’s version of events, Ferrara was tailgating him as traffic slowed for an approaching construction zone. “He was behind me and got extremely close to me,” Beard said. “He wouldn’t go over to the right. He was obviously upset with me.”

Beard said he saw Ferrara move into the right lane and pull alongside him, at which point, Beard admits, he made an obscene gesture toward Ferrara. Contradicting police, Beard claimed that he never entered the right lane to cut off Ferrara.

Ferrara’s SUV moved left toward his car, Beard said, so he jerked his car to the left and it spun out of control.

After the accident, Beard said he stopped and called 911 on his cell phone. One man pointed at him saying, “He got it. He got it,” and Beard said he thought that referred to calling 911.

Beard left the scene, he said, because authorities were notified, there was nothing else for him to do, and nobody told him not to leave. Beard, who said there were no drugs or alcohol in his system, said he will fight the charges.

“It did anger me,” he said of Ferrara tailgating, “but I didn’t do anything intentionally.”

J.D. Prose can be reached online at jprose@timesonline.com.

ROAD RAGE CHARGES

Aliquippa resident Bruce Beard was charged Monday with causing an accident April 9 on the Beaver Valley Expressway in Hopewell Township that injured a couple and killed their dog. State police have charged Beard with:

l Aggravated assault.

l Simple assault.

l Recklessly endangering another person.

l Disorderly conduct.

l Harassment.

l Driving at an unsafe speed.

l Careless driving.

l Reckless driving.

l Failing to give information or render aid.

l Driving on roadways laned for traffic.

l Two counts of criminal mischief.

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